Robert Williams Authentic 44 Reissue LX (Malfeasance)

Vans has collaborated with one of America’s most maligned underground artists, Robert Williams, to bring his psychedelic artwork to life in a limited edition Vault by Vans capsule, introducing a striking trio of classic footwear and deluxe shirts. With an approach that celebrates Vans’ 50th anniversary, the Vault by Vans x Robert Williams collection sustains the design elements of past Robert Williams partnerships by showcasing Robert’s intense creativity and imagination across Vans iconic forms.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a new form of realism through paint presented perspectives that challenged the definition of fine art, focusing on the figurative graphics that formal art tended to reject: comic books, hot rod culture, surfer illustrations, movie posters and trading cards, to name a few. It was Robert Williams’ groundbreaking 1979 book, The Lowbrow Art of Robert Williams, thatintroduced the term “lowbrow” into the fine arts lexicon, fostering the evolution of “outlaw culture” in the art space. The Vault by Vans x Robert Williams offering features three prominent paintings by Robert that speak to this form of fine art including “Flaming Cobras”, “Malfeasance” and “Jalapeña.”